Populus Sustainable Design Consulting offers HERS rating and LEED for Homes™ consulting and training for Boulder and Denver, Colorado. http://www.popboulder.com/blog Boulder, Colorado Greenbuilding High Performance Home Blog Fri, 11 May 2012 00:09:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Information Session #2 for The Mile High Sustainable Building Advisor Program http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/05/10/information-session-2-for-the-mile-high-sustainable-building-advisor-program/ http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/05/10/information-session-2-for-the-mile-high-sustainable-building-advisor-program/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 21:24:13 +0000 Populus Sustainable Design Consulting http://www.popboulder.com/blog/?p=1434 Information Session #2 for The Mile High Sustainable Building Advisor Program

The Mile High Sustainable Building Advisor Program is Starting June 2012!


 Populus is happy to announce that Dave Neiger will be a guest trainer for the program.
]]> http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/05/10/information-session-2-for-the-mile-high-sustainable-building-advisor-program/feed/ 0 Information Session #1 for The Mile High Sustainable Building Advisor Program http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/05/10/information-session-1-for-the-mile-high-sustainable-building-advisor-program/ http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/05/10/information-session-1-for-the-mile-high-sustainable-building-advisor-program/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 21:21:45 +0000 Populus Sustainable Design Consulting http://www.popboulder.com/blog/?p=1432 Information Session #1 for The Mile High Sustainable Building Advisor Program

The Mile High Sustainable Building Advisor Program is Starting June 2012!

 Populus is happy to announce that Dave Neiger will be a guest trainer for the program.
]]> http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/05/10/information-session-1-for-the-mile-high-sustainable-building-advisor-program/feed/ 0 The Mile High Sustainable Building Advisor Program is Starting June 2012! http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/05/08/the-mile-high-sustainable-building-advisor-program-is-starting-june-2012/ http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/05/08/the-mile-high-sustainable-building-advisor-program-is-starting-june-2012/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 20:44:17 +0000 Populus Sustainable Design Consulting http://www.popboulder.com/blog/?p=1428 Don’t miss one of the free informational sessions on the Mile High Sustainable Building Advisor Program.

Information Session #1
Thursday, May 24, 2012
5:00pm – 6:30pm
 Green Spaces
1368 26th Street
Denver, Colorado 80205
Information Session #2
Friday, June 1, 2012
10:00am – 11:00am
Alliance Center
1536 Wynkoop Street – 2nd Floor Media Room
Denver, Colorado 80202
Populus is happy to announce that Dave Neiger will be a guest trainer for the program. Ikoloji Sustainability + Collaborative says the following of their program:
The Sustainable Building Advisor (SBA) program teaches you how to apply the fundamental principles of sustainability.

The course offers a hands-on approach to sustainability training that challenges students to recognize and understand problems, identify opportunities, and craft innovative solutions in the built environment. Scope includes global, regional, municipal, commercial, and residential perspectives.

Course participants learn and apply best practices in sustainability sciences, moving beyond the LEED scoring framework towards a holistic approach to sustainability for the designed environment.

The SBA program is recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as a 400-level “mastery” course in sustainability.

Topics Covered

  • Water use
  • Building materials
  • Lighting
  • Energy efficiency & on-site generation
  • Architecture & building systems design
  • Life cycle analysis
  • Sustainability policy and economics
  • Recycling & repurposing
  • Indoor environmental quality
  • Sustainable project siting

Check out one of the free informational sessions, or keep your eye on the website for more info!

]]> http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/05/08/the-mile-high-sustainable-building-advisor-program-is-starting-june-2012/feed/ 0 Mayor’s Press Conference Highlights Denver Energy Challenge for Job Gains in the Energy Sector http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/05/07/mayors-press-conference-highlights-denver-energy-challenge-for-job-gains-in-the-energy-sector/ http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/05/07/mayors-press-conference-highlights-denver-energy-challenge-for-job-gains-in-the-energy-sector/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 20:07:58 +0000 Populus Sustainable Design Consulting http://www.popboulder.com/blog/?p=1425 Denver Mayor Michael Hancock took some time in his press conference to point out the number of jobs created in the energy sector through the Denver Energy Challenge.

Take a look at the video clip here.

]]> http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/05/07/mayors-press-conference-highlights-denver-energy-challenge-for-job-gains-in-the-energy-sector/feed/ 0 Growing Sustainable Communities – Western Conference http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/30/growing-sustainable-communities-western-conference/ http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/30/growing-sustainable-communities-western-conference/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:42:13 +0000 Populus Sustainable Design Consulting http://www.popboulder.com/blog/?p=1420 The Growing Sustainable Communities Conference is a one-day educational opportunity for municipal professionals and elected officials, preceded by a special, half-day legislative roundtable for top leadership in California local government, and a networking reception for all conference and roundtable attendees.

http://www.gscwest.com/

]]> http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/30/growing-sustainable-communities-western-conference/feed/ 0 Populus Presenting at Growing Sustainable Communities Conference in California http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/30/populus-presenting-at-growing-sustainable-communities-conference-in-california/ http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/30/populus-presenting-at-growing-sustainable-communities-conference-in-california/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:12:18 +0000 Populus Sustainable Design Consulting http://www.popboulder.com/blog/?p=1417 The Growing Sustainable Communities – Western Conference is coming up this week in Sonoma County, and the folks at Populus are excited to be presenting. The Sonoma County Supervisor, Valerie Brown says that ”The Growing Sustainable Communities Conference in Sonoma County will bring together leaders from across California and the Western states to share best practices and further the discussion on how local governments can have a strong voice at the federal level.”

Populus’ CEO, Laura Hutchings, and Matt Wilmoth, who heads up the Outreach for the City of Boulder’s SmartRegs Ordinance on behalf of Populus will be presenting on effective strategies to engage citizens and businesses in reducing energy use. Their presentation and educational session will focus on how Populus and the City of Boulder are overcoming the barriers to energy retrofits in the renter-occupied housing sector through the adoption and administration of the nation’s first mandatory energy code for rental housing. The discussion will draw on the use of Boulder County’s EnergySmart and outreach as a successful instrument for the early adoption of the ordinance.

Check back on the conference website in the coming weeks for the publishing of Populus’ presentation, as well as for presentations from sessions like West Coast water supply forecasts, financing renewable energy, case studies in “complete streets,” mining waste streams for power, managing stormwater with green infrastructure, community choice aggregation, a case study in water reuse, municipal solar power, alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure, climate adaptation planning, using advanced weather forecasting data to enhance water supply and stormwater management, community engagement strategies, and measuring sustainability.

Best of luck to Laura and Matt as they hit the road to share one of Colorado’s community program success stories!

]]> http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/30/populus-presenting-at-growing-sustainable-communities-conference-in-california/feed/ 0 Populus Profiled in Boulder County Business Report http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/30/populus-profiled-in-boulder-county-business-report/ http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/30/populus-profiled-in-boulder-county-business-report/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:48:56 +0000 Populus Sustainable Design Consulting http://www.popboulder.com/blog/?p=1413 Populus’ Laura Hutchings and David Neiger took some time to sit down with the Boulder County Business Report and talk about the firm’s growth in the last three years. Take a look! 

]]> http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/30/populus-profiled-in-boulder-county-business-report/feed/ 0 Join the EnergySmart Contractors for an Evening of Networking and Fun http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/30/join-the-energysmart-contractors-for-an-evening-of-networking-and-fun/ http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/30/join-the-energysmart-contractors-for-an-evening-of-networking-and-fun/#comments Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:55:26 +0000 Populus Sustainable Design Consulting http://www.popboulder.com/blog/?p=1411 Celebrate the EnergySmart program and all the amazing work being done in our community to reduce energy use, make homes more comfortable and lessen our GHG emissions in Boulder County!
…while broadening the visibility of our retrofit contractors and driving business to local contractors and suppliers

This fun filled evening includes:

  • An excellent opportunity to network with other home performance contractors
  • Trivia Games about building science and the issues you all are facing in the field
  • A roundtable discussion led by Eagle Rock Supply on how to choose the right insulation for the job
  • Prizes and recognition

Register with the CGBG by May 2nd.

]]> http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/30/join-the-energysmart-contractors-for-an-evening-of-networking-and-fun/feed/ 0 DOE’s SolarShot Initiative Aims to Bring Down Cost of Residential Solar Energy http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/27/does-solarshot-initiative-aims-to-bring-down-cost-of-residential-solar-energy/ http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/27/does-solarshot-initiative-aims-to-bring-down-cost-of-residential-solar-energy/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:16:04 +0000 Populus Sustainable Design Consulting http://www.popboulder.com/blog/?p=1266 Up to $5 Million will be made available this year through the DOE’s SolarShot initiative for the development of “plug-and-play” pholtovoltaic (PV) systems. The initiative is aimed to reduce the non-hardware costs of installation, permitting and interconnecting, which tend to comprise over half the cost of residential PV systems. The investment will help stimulate innovations for fundamental redesigns aimed to simplify installation and grid interconnectivity.

The DOE’s announcement states,

Plug-and-play PV systems could be installed without special training or tools, and simply plugged into a PV-ready circuit, through which an automatic detection system would initiate communication between the solar energy system and the utility. Plug-and-play systems are already in wide use in the computer and automotive industries. The Energy Department believes that similar innovations can be made in the solar energy industry to reduce costs and simplify installations.

The $5 million is an initial investment that will go toward two projects, both of which will be collaborative efforts by partnerships with university, utilities, and other industry stakeholders. The initial projects are part of a five-year program to make solar cost-competitive with other forms of energy by the end of the decade. Further goals of the initiative articulate the initiative as doing for the United States’ role in the world race for clean energy what Kennedy’s MoonShot did for getting the first man on the moon. Here’s to hoping this will push the U.S. toward a leap for clean energy.

]]> http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/27/does-solarshot-initiative-aims-to-bring-down-cost-of-residential-solar-energy/feed/ 0 CGBG’s Building Development Series: Systematic Selling http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/13/cgbgs-building-development-series-systematic-selling/ http://www.popboulder.com/blog/2012/04/13/cgbgs-building-development-series-systematic-selling/#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:41:36 +0000 Populus Sustainable Design Consulting http://www.popboulder.com/blog/?p=1258 The next installment of the Colorado Green Building Guild’s Business Development Series, Systematic Selling, begins May 8th. The classes, taking place on four consecutive Tuesdays from 2 to 4 p.m., will cover building a prospecting plan, booking a first appointment, sales meeting success, and closing the deal. The series will be held at the Boulder Chamber, and led by Steve Parry, President of Sales Productivity Consultants, Inc. To learn more and/or register, visit the CGBG website.

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